1996 Flashback: AOL goes down for 19 hours

The online service experienced a major outage that left users and business unplugged from the Internet for nearly an entire day. This 1996 "CBS Evening News" report looked at the impact the outage had on Internet users, who at the time were less than 20 percent of the population. Peter Van Sant has the story of the day America Online went offline.

[MichaelGrey]

Now people freak out when twitter is down for 5 minutes

[cobraofearth]

It's so crazy that back then anybody who used a computer was considered a nerd or a geek. Now everybody not just has a computer but we all do everything on it now.

[danjoredd]

1:22 she is absolutely roasting that guy

[jrwheeler]

Bahahahaha, I actually remember this! It was during the last few weeks of summer vacation before my sophomore year of high school. I kept trying to get on AOL all day! First world problems right there. We would have the same version of this today if all cellular data networks went down for an entire day, only with a lot more adult tantrums involved.

[LaMostraVia]

Bro I remember that! My dad thought I got us kicked off AOL again 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dude was heated

[robdisner]

If we only knew what it would all eventually become…

[MDRCoalition]

Whether you realize it or not, the world hasn't been the same since. Never take anything at face value.

[Lilithenodia]

Wow most people will freak out if insta goes out for 13 seconds

[jeremypr]

Now imagine if Facebook goes hell will break loose.

[SearInMinecraft]

after 6 years, it appears in my recommended after watching some dialup nostalgia videos

[Canyoureadmydeadpan]

"Netheads and Geeks, thats what they call themselves..."
no one ever called themselves that just like no one ever will call you a legitimate journalist

[Dan-dijd]

I laugh how that guy thinks we're going online to look at news and stock quotes. lol.

[OmegaWolf]

The modern equivalent is when your mobile carrier takes a dump.

[SticksTheFox]

Why does the guy at 0:42 look like someone adjusted the face size slider on his head to v.smol?

[kristianwilley]

They were addicted to the internet back then

[omniultima]

6oz sirloin for $36 is kinda expensive for '96.

[SonOfTheDawn]

Whenever AOL 3.0 dropped is when we (my mother) got AOL. I definitely used it a lot for the chatrooms as a kid and playing games online.

[javianjohnson]

1996 was more technologically advanced than I originally thought. I didn’t think the Internet got this popular until like 1998 or 1999 lol

[coolvideos]

It wouldnt surprise me if AOL actually turned off the servers or whatever on purpose as to get TV News etc interested in the story... Free Advertising!

[deathstar]

“Primitive Technology”

Meantime in 2021

Hospitals/Doctors’ Offices: We only accept faxes

🤦‍♂️